Should Leeds, who have half-a-dozen senior players injured, lose to West Ham on Sunday and then fail to protect a one-goal lead against Hapoel Tel Aviv in the Uefa Cup, the crisis may come to a head very swiftly.The protesting fans in Sheffield also called for the resignation of Peter Ridsdale, the Leeds chairman, who in recent weeks has become considerably less keen on seeing himself on television The relationship between Ridsdale and Venables is uncertain. Venables' friends say he was astonished to discover that despite the sale of Rio Ferdinand for more than £30m in the summer, virtually none of this would be made available to strengthen a lop-sided squad which boasted six strikers and one left-back. When the transfer window reopens in January, Leeds are expected to take the opportunity to sell as well as buy.Nevertheless, money has been earmarked for the pursuit of two defenders, Gabriel Milito of Independiente, regarded as one of the best players in Argentinian domestic football, and Ferdinand Coly of Lens, who has been dropped by his manager, Jo?Muller, for refusing to sign a new contract.Leeds have been tracking Milito, who might have joined Real Madrid but for a cruciate ligament injury, since before Venables was brought in to replace David O'Leary. The former manager was ostensibly sacked for failing to take the club back into the Champions' League. Leeds, 13th in the Premiership, will do well to make it back into the Uefa Cup.Venables' reputation is at stake. Ever since he resigned as England manager six years ago, many have wondered what he might achieve at the helm of a truly big club. So far, one victory over Manchester United apart, the answer appears to be not much.
Leeds are said by his critics to lack flair, although at both Tottenham and during his successful salvage operation at Middlesbrough, Venables' priorities were largely defensive. However, to win over a sceptical public, his public relations might need sharpening. It was not a good idea to sit alongside Des Lynam analysing a Champions' League Leeds have failed to qualify for on the night Robbie Fowler, his most valuable asset, made his comeback from long-term injury in the reserves.In his defence, he has inherited a side which has been out of sorts since O'Leary's damaging book, Leeds United on Trial, was published in the aftermath of another cup exit marred by crowd unrest, this time in Cardiff The midfield has been obviously misfiring. Against Liverpool it was overrun with ease and, looking around at its components, it is not hard to see why. Lee Bowyer has refused to commit himself to a new contract while Olivier Dacourt, expected to be sold in the summer, probably will be in January. Nick Barmby, Venables' one major signing, shone in his opening match against Manchester City since when his form has slithered away.While Leeds were falling apart, David Batty was on a caravanning holiday in the Yorkshire Dales, having been told he has no place in the new order at Elland Road. Batty may be far from the player he was but to some in Leeds he looks like a great lost leader.
As Ruud Gullit discovered when challenging Alan Shearer's position at Newcastle, it is poor policy for a new manager to take on a local hero. Leeds' season of woePremiership17 Aug: Manchester City (H) won 3-024: West Bromwich Albion (A) won 3-128: Sunderland (H) lost 0-131: Birmingham City (A) lost 2-111 Sept: Newcastle United (A) won 2-014: Manchester United (H) won 1-022: Blackburn (A) lost 1-028: Arsenal (H) lost 1-46 Oct: Aston Villa (A) drew 0-019: Liverpool (H) lost 0-126: Middlesbrough (A) drew 2-23 Nov: Everton (H) lost 0-1Uefa CupFirst round: 19 Sept: M Zaporizhzhya (H) won 1-0; 3 Oct: M Zaporizhzhya (A) drew 1-1 (Leeds won 2-1 on agg). Second round, first leg: 31 Oct: Hapoel Tel-Aviv (H) won 1-0.Worthington CupThird round: 6 Nov: Sheff Utd (a) lost 2-1. Laurent Robert is to undergo an operation in Paris today to repair a cheekbone fractured by David Weir's elbow in Newcastle's Worthington Cup defeat by Everton. Robson did not accuse Weir of intent but said it was a vigorous challenge. It will no longer represent the working class, but the entire nation, and will welcome capitalists into its ranks. He is likely to hand over the empty title of head of state and the general secretaryship of the party, but may hold on to the chairmanship of the central military commission, the post that the late leader Deng Xiaoping retained.Somehow the CCP has stumbled into the 21st century with just the same Leninist organisation with which it was born 82 years ago.
The alleged van owner does not look similar to anyone in the sketches, according to Indonesia's Antara news agency.. The world's largest political movement – the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) – meets tomorrow for the start of its 16th party congress, a ritual that remainsshrouded in mystery. Nine people were questioned last week because they resembled sketches All were released without charge. One was arrested in Medan, on Sumatra, on Monday when he was found using fake identity papers, while the other was held in Jakarta on Tuesday.The inquiry so far appears to have been a series of false starts. Its spiritual leader, Abu Bakar Bashir, was arrested a week after the attacks but refuses to answer questions.His lawyers claim his arrest was illegal because it was based on intelligence reports and statements from witnesses in Malaysia and Singapore – inadmissible material in court.Those in custody include two men resembling police sketches. No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks, but they have been widely blamed on Jamaah Islamiya, an extremist Islamist group linked to al-Qa'ida.